Heuchera plant named ‘Carnival Plum Crazy’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Heuchera  plant named ‘Carnival Plum Crazy’, characterized by its dark greyed-purple and silver colored foliage, often with a faint greyed red-purple overlay, white and brownish-purple colored flowers, and moderately vigorous, mounded growth habit, is disclosed.

Latin name of genus and species of plant claimed: Heuchera×hybrida.

Variety denomination: ‘Carnival Plum Crazy’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Heuchera plant botanically known as Heuchera×hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Carnival Plum Crazy’.

The new cultivar originated in a controlled breeding program in Elburn, Ill. during May 2008. The objective of the breeding program was the development of Heuchera cultivars with unique foliage coloration and mounded growth habit.

The new Heuchera cultivar is the result of cross-pollination. The female (seed) parent of the new cultivar is the proprietary Heuchera×hybrida breeding selection coded 195-1, not patented, characterized by its medium purple and silver colored foliage, white-colored flowers, and vigorous, mounded growth habit. The male (pollen) parent of the new cultivar is the proprietary Heuchera×hybrida breeding selection coded 195-3, not patented, characterized by its dark purple and silver colored foliage, light pink-colored flowers, and moderately vigorous, mounded growth habit. The new cultivar was discovered and selected as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the above stated cross-pollination during March 2009 in a controlled environment in Elburn, Ill.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by in vitro propagation since March 2009 in West Chicago, Ill. has demonstrated that the new cultivar reproduces true to type with all of the characteristics, as herein described, firmly fixed and retained through successive generations of such asexual propagation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following characteristics of the new cultivar have been repeatedly observed and can be used to distinguish ‘Carnival Plum Crazy’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Heuchera plant:

-   -   1. Dark greyed-purple and silver colored foliage, often with a         faint greyed red-purple overlay;     -   2. White and brownish-purple colored flowers; and     -   3. Moderately vigorous, mounded growth habit.

Plants of the new cultivar differ from plants of the female parent primarily in having foliage with darker greyed-purple venation area and reduced growth vigor. Plants of the new cultivar differ from plants of the male parent primarily in having stronger silver-colored foliage and a different flower color.

Of the many commercially available Heuchera cultivars, the most similar in comparison to the new cultivar is ‘Plum Pudding’, not patented. However, in comparison, plants of the new cultivar differ from plants of ‘Plum Pudding’ in having a foliage color with more silver coloration than plants of ‘Plum Pudding’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs show, as nearly true as it is reasonably possible to make the same in color illustrations of this type, typical flower and foliage characteristics of the new cultivar. Colors in the photographs differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed description, which accurately describes the colors of ‘Carnival Plum Crazy’. The plants were grown in one-gallon containers for approximately one year in a greenhouse in West Chicago, Ill.

FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of the overall growth habit of ‘Carnival Plum Crazy’.

FIG. 2 illustrates a close-up view of an individual inflorescence of ‘Carnival Plum Crazy’.

FIG. 3 illustrates a close-up view of an individual leaf of ‘Carnival Plum Crazy’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new cultivar has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that the phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in the environment, such as temperature, light intensity, and day length, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The chart used in the identification of colors described herein is The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England, 2007 edition, except where general color terms of ordinary significance are used. The color values were determined in May 2012 under natural light conditions in West Chicago, Ill.

The following descriptions and measurements describe plants produced from in vitro plantlets and grown in a glass-covered greenhouse under conditions comparable to those used in commercial practice. The plants were grown in West Chicago, Ill. in one-gallon containers for approximately one year utilizing a soilless growth medium. Greenhouse temperatures were maintained at approximately 70° F. to 77° F. (21° C. to 25° C.) during the day and approximately 65° F. to 68° F. (18° C. to 20° C.) during the night. Greenhouse light levels of 2,500 footcandles to 6,000 footcandles were maintained during the day. Measurements and numerical values represent averages of typical plants.

-   Botanical classification: Heuchera×hybrida cultivar Carnival Plum     Crazy. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Proprietary Heuchera×hybrida breeding             selection coded 195-1, not patented.         -   Male parent.—Proprietary Heuchera×hybrida breeding selection             coded 195-3, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—In vitro propagation is preferred, divisions are             possible.         -   Time to initiate roots in vitro.—Approximately 10 days at             20° C.         -   Time to initiate roots in greenhouse.—Approximately 20 days             at 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted plantlet in summer.—Approximately             42 days.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white to ivory in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Commercial crop time.—Approximately 20 weeks from a rooted             tissue culture plantlet to finish in a 1 gallon container.         -   Growth habit and general appearance.—Clump-forming             herbaceous perennial, mounded foliage.         -   Growth rate.—Moderately vigorous.         -   Outdoor plant performance.—Use as bedding plants or in             mixed-container plantings; at least tolerant to temperatures             up to 35° C. and hardy to USDA zone 3.         -   Size.—Height from soil level to top of plant plane:             Approximately 84.0 cm. Height from soil level to top of             foliage: Approximately 29.0 cm. Width: Approximately 61.0             cm.         -   Branching habit.—No branching, basal rosettes of leaves on             petioles. Number of rosettes per plant: Approximately 15. -   Foliage description:     -   -   General description.—Moderately durable to environmental             stresses. Quantity of leaves per rosette: Approximately 10.             Fragrance: None. Form: Simple. Arrangement: Alternate.         -   Leaves.—Aspect: Blade is nearly perpendicular to petiole.             Shape: Orbicular. Margin: Crenate, shallowly lobed. Apex:             Acute. Base: Cordate, sometimes moderately overlapping.             Venation pattern: Palmate. Length of mature leaf:             Approximately 12.0 cm. Width of mature leaf: Approximately             12.0 cm. Texture of upper surface: Dull, slightly rough,             sparsely pubescent with short hairs. Texture of lower             surface: Slightly glossy, sparsely pubescent with short             hairs. Color of upper surface of young foliage: Closest to             but redder than N187C with venation area and margins of             187A. Color of lower surface of young and mature foliage:             N186D. Color of upper surface of mature foliage: Closest to             202C often with a faint overlay of 187A and venation area of             187A to N186A.         -   Petiole.—Length: Approximately 21.0 cm. Diameter:             Approximately 3.0 mm. Texture: Sparsely pubescent with short             hairs. Color: 187C to 187B.         -   Stipules.—Two leafy stipules located at the base of each             petiole. Apex: Narrow acute. Length: Approximately 1.5 cm.             Width: Approximately 2.0 mm. Color: N187D. -   Flowering description:     -   -   Flowering habit.—‘Carnival Plum Crazy’ flowers once a year             during late spring to midsummer under outdoor conditions.         -   Lastingness of individual flower on the plant.—Approximately             7 days. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   General description.—Type: Compound spike emerging from the             base of the rosette with two to three cauline leaves.             Fragrance: None. Length or height excluding the peduncle:             Approximately 44.0 cm. Width: Approximately 17.0 cm.             Quantity of inflorescences per plant: Approximately 1.             Quantity of flowers per inflorescence: Approximately 112.         -   Peduncle.—Strength: Moderate. Aspect: Erect to approximately             20° angle from vertical. Length: Approximately 55.0 cm.             Diameter at midpoint: Approximately 3.0 to 4.0 mm. Texture:             Moderately pubescent. Color: N137A with a heavy overlay of             187A. -   Flower description:     -   -   General description.—Type: Single, campanulate,             self-cleaning. Aspect: Drooping to slightly outward.         -   Bud.—Rate of opening: Generally takes 4 days for bud to             progress from first color to fully open flower.         -   Bud just before opening.—Shape: Broadly obovate. Length:             Approximately 4.0 mm. Diameter: Approximately 3.0 mm.             Texture: Densely pubescent with a mixture of glandular and             nonglandular hairs. Gland Color: 187A. Color: Upper half of             closest to 160C with 137A at tip, central band of 184A, and             base of 166D.         -   Corolla.—Shape: Campanulate. Diameter: Approximately 7.0 mm.             Depth: Approximately 8.0 mm.         -   Petals.—Quantity: 5. Arrangement: Single whorl. Shape:             Narrowly elliptic. Appearance: Dull. Margin: Entire. Apex:             Acute. Base: Lower half fused into hypanthium. Length:             Approximately 8.0 mm. Width: Approximately 1.0 mm. Texture             of upper surface: Glabrous. Texture of lower surface:             Sparsely pubescent. Color of upper and lower surfaces when             first and fully open: NN155D.         -   Calyx.—Shape: Campanulate. Diameter: Approximately 5.0 mm.             Depth: Approximately 6.0 mm.         -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: 5. Shape: Elliptic. Appearance:             Dull. Margin of free portion: Entire. Apex: Acute. Base:             Lower half fused into hypanthium. Length: Approximately             6.0 mm. Width at rim of hypanthium: Approximately 2.0 mm.             Texture of upper surface: Glabrous. Texture of lower             surface: Densely pubescent with a mixture of glandular and             nonglandular hairs. Gland Color: 187A. Color of upper             surface: NN155D with N199B at tip. Color of lower surface:             Upper half of NN155D with N199B at tip and lower half of             187B with an overlay of N199B.         -   Pedicel.—Strength: Moderate. Aspect: The pedicel of the             central flower of each spikelet is directly on top of the             secondary pedicel, pedicels of secondary and tertiary             flowers of each spikelet have an average 40° angle from             vertical. Length: Approximately 3.0 mm. Diameter: Less than             1.0 mm. Densely pubescent with a mixture of glandular and             nonglandular hairs. Gland Color: 187A. Color: N137A with a             heavy overlay of 187A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Quantity: 5 per flower.             Anther shape: Ovate. Anther length: Less than 1.0 mm. Anther             color: N25A. Filament length: Approximately 4.0 mm. Filament             color: NN155D. Pollen amount: None observed. Gynoecium:             Pistil quantity: 2 per flower. Pistil length: Approximately             9.0 mm. Stigma shape: Pointed. Stigma color: 144A. Style             length: Approximately 7.0 mm. Style color: NN155C, opaque             with and overlay of 144A at tip. Ovary color: NN155C with a             faint overlay of 187D and 144A at base. -   Seed and fruit production: Neither seed nor fruit production has     been observed. -   Disease and pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests     common to Heuchera has not been observed. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Heuchera plant named ‘Carnival Plum Crazy’, substantially as herein shown and described. 